Sarangi entered the room, and as soon as her eyes fell on Vairagya, they widened. She blurted out, "Old man…!"
Vairagya looked up at her and tried to understand her words.
Rajveer said, "Sir, this is my sister, Sarangi…"
"Hello, Miss Sarangi. Myself Vairagya… Vairagya Rajvansh," he said, taking a chocolate out of his drawer and extending it toward her.
Sarangi squinted. She felt like he was mocking her again by giving her chocolate, as if she were a little kid.
"I'm not a small child!" she snapped.
Vairagya looked at her again in surprise, then recalled the corridor incident and recognized her. So he deliberately said, "Raj… you can take your sister to the kids' area. She'll be taken good care of there…"
Rajveer looked at him in shock. "Excuse me? I already said—I'm not a child!"
"Okay, Miss. You're a big child then…" Vairagya said with a smirk, still holding out the chocolate.
"I'm not a child… got it?" Sarangi fumed, snatched the chocolate from his hand, and stormed out.
"Sir, I'm sorry…" Rajveer began, but Vairagya interrupted, "It's not your fault, Raj…" and told him about the corridor encounter. Rajveer burst out laughing.
"By the way, you never mentioned you had a little sister," Vairagya teased with a smile.
"Where, sir?" Rajveer was confused.
"The one who just left with you… what was her name? Yes, Sarangi."
"Sir, she's not my little sister. She's my older sister… and it's her wedding," Rajveer clarified.
"But she looks so young…" Vairagya said in surprise.
"God-gifted innocent face, sir," Rajveer replied with a grin.
Vairagya handed Rajveer a gift box. "This is for your sister, from me."
"Sir, that's not necessary…"
"It's not for you, Raj. It's for your sister, so you don't get to refuse."
Rajveer nodded silently.
As Sarangi stepped outside, she saw Shikha and Ajit approaching and quickly walked toward them.
That evening, Rajveer took everyone to tour some famous spots around Lake Pichola in Udaipur. Shikha and Ajit kept sidelining Sarangi and were busy taking couple photos—with Sarangi herself as their photographer. Seeing this, Rajveer was furious. He bought a mirchi vada from a nearby stall and poured loads of spicy chutney on a plate, then walked toward them.
He hurried over and "accidentally" spilled the hot chutney and vada on Shikha. He had really wanted to spill it on Ajit too, but out of some respect for relationships, he held back.
"Ouch!" Shikha screamed as the chilies stung.
"Shikha…" Sarangi stepped forward to help, but Rajveer stopped her. Ajit also moved in concern, but Rajveer grabbed his hand and pushed him back.
"Brother-in-law, you're marrying my sister, not Shikha Didi. So take care of her, and I'll take care of the rest." Saying that, he went to Shikha and handed her his handkerchief. "If you even think of setting my sister's life on fire, you'll burn like this forever…" His words made it clear he had spilled the chutney on Shikha deliberately.
Shikha glared at him and rushed toward the restroom.
That night, everyone returned to their rooms. Sarangi lay in bed, tossing and turning. Her marriage to Ajit had been fixed, and she didn't have feelings for anyone else, yet she was restless.
The thought that she'd have to live with Ajit in just two days filled her with anxiety. She began pacing her room, but as the nausea rose, she stepped out and began walking near the pool area.
Vairagya, finishing up his work, came to shut his balcony door when his eyes fell on the poolside—and he was stunned.
"That's Sarangi, Raj's sister… What is she doing here so late?" he muttered. "Let me tell Raj…" He called Rajveer, but Raj, exhausted from the day, was in deep sleep and didn't notice the call.
"Maybe she's here to meet her would-be husband. Why am I playing night watchman here?" he muttered, but instead of closing the balcony, he took a deep breath and looked down again.
Sarangi's dupatta fluttered in the breeze. She kept trying to wrap it around herself, looking graceful with each movement… When a strand of hair brushed her cheek, something stirred in Vairagya's heart. He couldn't take his eyes off her. Half an hour passed… then an hour… two hours… Still, no one showed up, and Sarangi didn't leave either.
"No one's coming, huh? Is she going to haunt the night looking like a ghost?" he whispered.
After waiting a while longer, Vairagya realized no one else was going to show up, and that Sarangi was standing there all alone. So he came downstairs himself.
"Excuse me, but kids aren't allowed to roam alone here…" Vairagya said, scrolling on his phone.
Sarangi turned around in shock.
"You old man…!" she said, recalling his earlier remark.
"Hey, whose lost kid is this? Someone please come claim her…" Vairagya said, suppressing a grin.
"Hey! Who are you calling a kid? I'm the bride of this wedding!" Sarangi said proudly.
Vairagya's eyes widened. "Child marriages still happen these days…?"
"Hey! I'm 21 years old!" Sarangi snapped, annoyed.
"But you look 17…" Vairagya teased deliberately.
"You…!" Sarangi growled.
"What? Say it…" Vairagya stepped closer.
Sarangi found herself momentarily lost in his brown eyes. There was something magnetic… a strange attraction that she had felt since the very first day.
"What happened? Out of words or did your tongue get stuck to your palate?" Vairagya raised an eyebrow.
"You Devil man…" Sarangi was so flustered by his closeness that she pushed him away with both hands on his chest.